Electric fence gate



Dec. 29, 1942. E. J GENGLER ELECTRIG FENCE &ATE

Filed ma si, 1938 WW/m,

Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE %306.861 ::mome FENCEGATE Edwin J. Gender, Milwaukee, Wi.

Application May 31, 1938, Serial No. 210398 3 Claims.

`safely opened and closed without danger oi' Shock.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly deflned by the appended claims, itbeing understood that such changes in the preciseembodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates several complete examples of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with thebest modes so !ar devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of an electric fence showingthe gate in closed position;

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form of spring for holding the gatetaut;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of thegate showing amodified form of handle; and

Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates how the open gate actuates theground indicator.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing in which likenumerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the posts of anelectric fence, only a portion of which is shown. The posts are spacedin the usual manner and support a Ience wire 8 as from insulators 1. Thewire 6 'is adapted to be charged by a charger C," as shown in Figure 4.

being, of course, connected to the charger C.'

The ends of the sections o and ll are Secured to the gateposts s 'and sby insulators n and s, respectively.

The gateway is adapted to be closed by a gate indicated generally by thenumeral ll. It is the purpose of the gate to eiectrically connect thefence sections and have the same eflicacy as any other portion of thefence. consequently, the gate is formed by a bare flexible conductor IIanchored at one end to the gatepost 8 by being attached to the insulatorI! and electrically connected to the adjacent end of the charged sectionIII.

The other or free end of the conductor is detachably connectible withthe uncharged section of the ience. For this purpose, it has been foundconvenient to provide a. short substantialiy rigid,

conductor |8 having a loop I'I on its outer end. The inner end of thisconductor is ancho'ed to the gatepost 9 by securing one end thei-cof tothe insulator I3, and is electrically connected to the adjacent end ofthe uncharged fence section II. The free end o! conductor l5 has a metalhook !8 adapted to be engaged with the conductor IS to close the gate.An insulated handle I! surrounding the hook: aflords protection againstshock as the gate is opened or closed.

As a result of this novel construction, it is possible to close or openthe gate ll easily and quickly by the use of merely one hand and withoutany danger of Shock. The only part that need be grasped for this purposeis the insulated handle s by which the hook I 8 is engaged in or removedfrom the loop l'l. Since the loop l'l is 'sustained in position, itrequires no manipulation and is always ready to receive the hook whenthe gate is open.

Interposed medially of the ends of the conductor !5 is a closely woundcoil spring 20. The

spring 20 places the conductor under tension upon engagement of the hooki& with the loop l'l and thus insures good electrical contact betweenthe hook and loop. The hook la may be polygonal in cross section or`rectangular as shown so as to engage the loop H at two or more pointsand bite into the same thus affording better electrical contact than ifa hook of circular cross section were used.

It is to be noted that the conductor l5' need not be broken toaccommodate the coil spring 20, it being merely necessary to provide aslack portion 2! to compensate for the lengtheing of the spring uponclosing ot the gate.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the conductor |5 ispermanently connected to the charged section or the Ience. Thusaccidenta opening of the gate will be indicated by the signal "S" on thecharger in the same manner as any other grounded condition of the fence;for upon such opening, the conductor |5 drops to the ground, as shown inFigur-e 4. The weight o! the hook [8 and the handle !9 make thisindication positive, as theyiinsure contact with the groundnotwithstanding the presence of tall grass or other similarobstructions.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form of spring 25 tor holding theeonductor taut and providing a good electrical connection between thehook and the loop I'I. This spring performs the same function as thespring 20 but employs a compression spring with which it is possibleto'obtain greater tension on the wire.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of this invention wherein thespring for maintaining the gate taut is concealed within the handle. Tothis end the handle has a chamber 28 of a size to accommodate thecompression spring 21.

The hook !8 extends through the closed end of the handle and terminatesin a loop 28 at the inner end of the chamber and the spring, which ispreferably like that shown in Figure 2, is corrected at one end to theconductor !5 and at its other end with the loop 28. -The attachment ofthe spring to the conductor is preferably inside the handle.

The chamber 26 is of sufiicient length to accommodate the increase inlength of the spring structure when compression is applied theretoduring connection of the gate so that the handle at all times surroundsthe spring.

From the foregoing description taken in connected with one oi saidsections and being oi a length to Stretch as an electric gate across thespace between the posts, a conducting hook member electrically connectedto the free end of said fiexible lead and having an insulatng handle bywhich it can be grasped for manipulation without imparting a shock fromthe fence to the manipulator, the remaining section of the ence wirehaving a part sustained in position adjacent its u supporting postadapted to be engaged by the hook in a one-hand hooking manipulation ofthe hook and handle assembly for electrically connecting the sectionstogether, and means to place the flexible lead under tension as anincident to moving the hook into hooking relation to said sustained partand to cause the hook to be pulled into firm electrical contact withsaid part after being hooked thereto.

2. A one-wire electric fence structure substantially as set forth inclaim 1 in which the bare flexible lead forming the gate is electricallyconnected to the charged section and is of such length that the hookwill fall to the ground if it is unhooked from the sustained part of theremaining section and dropped, the hook and handle assembly being ofsuch weight as to insure engagement thereof with the groundnotwithstanding the presence of tall grass or similar gateway andsupporting the respective adjacent obstructions, and the handle is soproportioned and related to the hool; that the hook will definitelycontact the ground when the gate is down and thus ground the chargedsection of the fence.

3. A one-wire electric fence structure substantially as defined in claimi in which the hookengaged part of the remaining section of the :fencewire comprises a conducting member electricaliy connected theretc andhaving a loop extending relatively rigidly a short distance rom theadjacent post to receive the hook by a simple relative hookng movementof the hook and handle assembly, and the tensioning means com- `prises aspring permitting limited longitudnal movement of the hook and handleassemhly to acilitate hooliing and unhooking thereo.

